There are a variety of suction mounted hooks that are known in the art. These products usually consist of a single suction cup and a rigid hook attached to the suction cup. United States Design Patent Nos. D408,725, D552,458 and D608,624 disclose suction mounted hooks having a loop as its head and a rigid hook that passes through the loop. A J-hook is provided in the products disclosed in Design Patent Nos. D408,725 and D608,624. The top of the J-hook is shaped as a T or a modified rectangle to prevent the hook from passing through or rotating within the loop of the suction cup. There may also be a recess in the surface of cup portion of the suction cup that is within the loop in which a portion of the hook is seated. The suction cup shown in each of these two design patents has such a recess. All of the hooks disclosed in Design Patent Nos. D408,725, D552,458 and D608,624 are designed so that the hook will always be substantially perpendicular to the surface on which the product is mounted. Therefore, the hook cannot be easily rotated ninety degrees to be parallel to a mounting surface. Yet when the hook is in such a parallel position it would fit in a thinner package that would require less space on a store shelf or rack.
The weight that can be held on the suction mounted hooks is related to the diameter of the suction cup. The larger the suction cup the greater the weight that can be held. Hooks that are designed to be mounted with two suction cups can hold more weight than suction mounted hooks having a single suction cup of the same size. Suction mounted hooks that have two suction cups will have a larger hook and require a bigger package.
Because the suction cup is made of a flexible material and the hook is rigid the hook can, and often does, move relative to the suction cup when a lateral force acts on the hook. This can occur when something is placed on or removed from the hook or when a wreath or other object is hung on a door mounted hook and the door is opened or closed.
Consequently, there is a need for a suction mounted hook which can be hung on a door, hold a wreath or other object of similar size and weight and be constructed so that the hook can be moved relative to the suction cup between a position that is substantially perpendicular to the surface on which the product is mounted and a position parallel to that mounting surface.